Individuals and organizations often attempt to protect their data from malware and other security threats by employing antivirus or other forms of security software designed to identify and neutralize such threats. Security software may reside on a client device and/or on a server that provides protection for one or more client devices.
Similarly, persons and organizations often desire to synchronize files and data between one or more devices. For example, an office executive may have a smartphone, a personal laptop, a personal tablet, and a business workstation. In some cases, the office executive may desire to synchronize the same files and/or folders among one or more of these various devices. To do so, the executive may use a cloud folder synchronization service that automatically or otherwise enables the office executive to continuously and/or discretely synchronize one or more designated files or folders.
Unfortunately, although client devices and/or folders may synchronize files and data, they might not also share results of security scans performed on that data. Moreover, cloud folder synchronization services may not integrate the sharing and/or results of such security scans with the synchronization of the files and data themselves. As a result, backend servers and other client machines may perform security scans that are redundant to previous scans performed by other machines. Similarly, cloud folder synchronization services may automatically synchronize files and data detected to be unsafe or unknown at one device with other devices without taking remedial action, such as blocking and/or repairing the file. The instant disclosure identifies a need, therefore, for improved methods for providing security for synchronized files.